Simplifying the social media AND living fully

I believe life is as simple as what you pay attention to becomes your reality. If you read newspapers and follow the news on the internet then it’s easy to get obsessed and absorbed by the latest news of never ending crisis. Same if you follow the latest fashion blogs and instagrams, or celebrities on instagram. That will be what your world revolves around. If you focus on what other people are doing, that will be your reality. So what do you choose to give your attention to? Yes, we can choose.

*Quick life update: I was supposed to be in Ecuador, working as a guide. But I am in Bali, half working, instead. In Ecuador one of the volcanoes in I was going to guide had an eruption so the trip was cancelled. The travel plans and ticket were changed to Bali and I got some well deserved time off. I almost can’t remember the last time I had a vacation.

There are downsides with singly running your own business. One of them is the fact that you are your business. Wherever you go, you sort of bring your work, or at least thoughts about work. I am here to do surfing, yoga, training for a upcoming mountain by running, freediving, answering mails, writing on books and doing research for a new business idea. So both hobbies and work. Which makes me conflicted. I really really want to enjoy Bali. I knew I’d love this place before I’d even seen it. It deserves my full attention.

So I’m going to make it a little vacation. I asked my boss (me) – and she said it was a great idea.
I’m going to take a vacation from social media so I can fully focus and enjoy Bali.

Consider what you give your attention to each day.
It’s a precious resource, & determines the shape of your life.
– Leo Babuta

Social media can be overwhelming. The facebook feed and instagrams are never ending. Sometime last year I noticed I didn’t like how I interacted with it, how it made me feel. The first thing I did in the morning after yoga or running was to check my phone. It’s not how I wanted to live. I want to live deliberately, not controlled by notification signs on my phone or computer. So I did a couple of small changes:
1. I turned off notification signals on my phone. No more “ding” noises that makes me react by loosing my concentration on what I’m doing to look. Now I choose when to look at my phone.
2. I have almost completely stopped browsing “the feed” on facebook. I check it for messages and answer post comments. That’s it. If I catch myself mindlessly scrolling I go directly to read some blogs that I find interesting instead, or even better – back to what I should be working on. When you try to break a habit it’s good to have a replacement habit.

It’s good to ask yourself ”What is really important?” As well as doing a thought-experiment: When you are really old, do you think you’ll look back on your life and say ”oh I wish I had spent more time on facebook”?

I’m sure there is a way of using the positive parts of social media. Like having a plan for how to use it.

My deliberate social media plan goes something like this:Instagram – posting my favourite photos, and some life updates of adventuresBlog – longer texts and thoughts, updates of upcoming presentations and newsFacebook page – official updates of talks/classes/workshops, blog-links and instagram photos
Facebook personal – mainly for messages, keeping in touch with friends and some business requestsTwitter – Only links from my blog and instagrams.LinkedIn – Only links from my blog and instagrams. Some business requests

There are parts of social media I really like. Like when someone sends a message and says “I started freediving and yoga because I saw the photos you posted and wanted to say thank you”, that makes my day and reason to have a online existence. I do love instagram because I love photos and my experience of instagram is fully positive. I get a lot of inspiration by the ones I follow. I have chosen to not follow personal accounts (that are not close friends) of posts of food and babies. I do follow some cute animals accounts, and bikini accounts, I admit.

Nevertheless I’m taking a break from it all for the rest of the week. I’m posting this, and off it goes without any comments or follow-ups until next week :-)

‘I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.’
~Henry David Thoreau

3 Comments on “Simplifying the social media AND living fully”

you are a great person Mindful and inspiring. i was one night even get a lesson in freediving from you ( in a dream ), usually i dream about climbing and that i skydive,,,,,but it was so peaceful diving with you in the dream, i was complete calm and thank you for the diving lesson. i hope youre not going to charge me for that lesson :)
By the way if you have time, take a moment to peptalk my daughter again.